Temptation
by SilverRain17
Summary: One Piece parody. Why was Nami at an all girls' summer camp? Why did Zoro even care? Well, after a first encounter like that, its understandable. This could be considered an AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Ummm, so this is my first fanfiction, I'm hoping it will go well. It's a One Piece parody of a book my mom gave me to read while I was complaining about being bored. The characters will be OOC due to different surroundings and backgrounds, but I hope that it won't be that bad. Reviews are welcome, I'm gonna need all the help I can get, but nothing to hurtful please.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Temptation, they belong to Oda and Nora Roberts**

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Sunlight poured through the windows of the cabin and fell on the wooden floor. The sound of the morning bell echoed dully in her head. Though she'd only known that long, clanging ring for three days, Nami already hated it.

For one fanciful moment she buried her face under the pillow, imagining herself cuddled in her big four-poster. The Irish-linen sheets would smell ever so-slightly of oranges. In her airy pastel bedroom, the curtains would be drawn, the scent of fresh flowers sweetening the air.

The pillow case smelled of feathers and detergent.

With a grunt, Nami tossed the pillow to the floor, then struggled to sit up. Now that the morning bell had stopped, she could hear the cries of a few excited crows. From the cabin directly across the compound came a happy blast of rock music. With glazed eyes, she watched Nefertari Vivi bound out of the adjoining bunk. Her face was split by a grin.

"Morning." Vivi's fingers ran through her long blue hair, only taming the disarray slightly. Viv was, Nmai had always thought, all bounce. "It's a beautiful day," she announced in a voice as cheerful as the rest of her. Watching her friend stretch, Nami gave another noncommittal grunt. She swung her legs off the mattress and contemplated the accomplishment of putting her feet on the floor.

"I could grow to hate you." Nami's voice, still husky with sleep, carried the rounded tones of her finishing-school education. Eyes shut she pushed her own tousled orange hair away from her face.

Grinning, Vivi tossed open the cabin door so she could breathe in the fresh morning air while she studied her friend. The strong summer sunlight shot through Nami's bright hair, making it look aflame. Her slender shoulders slumped, she let out an enormous yawn. Vivi wisely said nothing, knowing Nami didn't share her enthusiasm for sunrise.

"It can't be morning," Nami grumbled. "I swear I only laid down five minutes ago." Resting her elbows on her knees, she dropped her face into her hands.

Vivi took one last breath of air, then shut the door. "All you need is a shower and some coffee. The first week of camp's the toughest, remember?"

Nami opened wide, chocolate brown eyes. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who fell in the poison ivy."

"Still itching?"

"A little." Because her own fowl mood was making her guilty, Nami managed a small smile. "In any case, this is the first time we're the campees instead of the campers." Letting out another fierce yawn, she rose and tugged on a robe. The air coming through the screens was chilly enough to make Nami's toes curl. She wished she could remember what she'd done with her slippers.

"Try under the bunk," Vivi suggested.

Nami bent down and found them. They were embroidered orange silk, hardly practical, but it hadn't seemed worthwhile to invest in another pair. Putting them on gave Nami an excuse to sit down again. "Do you really think five consecutive summers at Camp Forden for Girls prepared us for this?"

Haunted by her own doubts, Vivi clasped her hands together. "Nami, are you really having second thoughts?"

Because she recognized the distress in that bubbly voice, Nami buried her own doubts. Complaining wasn't going to put her on the road to success. With a shake of her head, Nami walked over to squeeze Vivi's shoulder. "What I have is a terminal case of morning crankiness. Let me go get that shower, then I'll be ready to face our twenty-seven tenants."

"I know it, too." Nami closed the bathroom door and leaned against it. She could admit it now, while she was alone. She was scared to death. Her last dime, her last ray of hope, were tied up in the six cabins, the stables, and the cafeteria that were Camp Liberty. What did Conomi Nami, former East Blue socialite, know about managing a girls' summer camp? Just enough to terrify her.

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**Okay, I know it's short, but that felt like a good place to end it. Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors you may find in this. Please review, I need to know whether I should continue or not. ****  
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	2. Chapter 2

** Thanks for the reviews! Here is the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, or Temptation by Nora Roberts (I only combined the two) **

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**Previous Chapter:**

**_What did Conomi Nami know, former East Blue socialite, know about managing a girls' summer camp? Just enough to terrify her._**

* * *

If she failed now, with this, would she be able to pick up the pieces and go on? Would there be any pieces left? _Confidence was what was needed_, Nami told herself as she turned the taps on. Once inside the narrow shower stall, she gave the tap marked HOT another twist. Water, lukewarm, dripped out halfheartedly. _Confidence_, Nami thought again as she shivered under the miserable spray. _Yeah, plus some cold hard cash and a barrel of luck_, a sarcastic remark from her temper that was usually kept under wraps.

She found the soap and began to lather herself with the soft vanilla scent that she still allowed herself to indulge in. A year ago she would have never thought of something as lowly as soap an indulgence.

_A year ago._

Nami turned so that the rapidly cooling water hit her back. A year ago she would have risen at eight, had a leisurely, steaming shower, then eaten a breakfast of toast and coffee, perhaps some shirred eggs. Sometime before ten she would have been driven to the library for her volunteer work. Then, there would have been lunch with Law, possibly at the Baratie, before she spent her afternoon at the museum or one of Kaya's charities. Her evening might have been spent at one of East Blue's elegant dinner parties.

No pressure. No problems. But that had been when Papa was alive.

Nami sighed, the last of the soapy lather was rinsed away. The light scent clung to her even as she dried herself with one of the serviceable camp-issue towels. When her father had been alive, she had thought that money was simply something to spend and that time was forever. She had been raised to plan a menu, but not to cook; to run a home, but not to clean it.

Throughout her childhood,she has been carelessly happy with her widowed father in the ageless elegance of their East Blue home. There had always been party dresses and dances, afternoon teas and riding lessons. The Conomi name was an old and respected one. The Conomi money had been a simple fact of life.

How quickly things could change.

Because the tiny mirror over the tiny sink was dripping with condensation, Nami rubbed it with the towel. She took a dab of the small amount of imported facial cream she had left. She was going to make it last through the summer. If she lasted through the summer, buying some more would be her reward.

Nami found the cabin empty when she opened the bathroom door. If she knew Vivi the bluenette would already be down with the girls. Nami took her jeans and her red T-shirt with **CAMP LIBERTY **printed on the chest, and began to dress. Even as a teenager, Nami had never dressed so casually.

She had enjoyed her social life, the parties, the well chaperoned ski trips to North Blue, the trips to Red Line for shopping or the theater, the vacations in South Blue. The prospect of earning a living had never been considered, by her, or her father.

College years had been spent rounding out her education rather than focusing on a career. At age twenty, Nami was forced to admit that she was qualified to do absolutely nothing.

She could have blamed her father. But how could she blame a man who had been so indulgent and loving? She had adored him. She could blame herself for being naive and shortsighted, but she could never blame her father. Even now, a year after his sudden death, she still felt pangs of grief.

She could deal with that. The one thing she had been taught to do, the one thing she felt herself fully qualified to accomplish, was to cover emotion with poise, with control, or with disdain. She could go day after day, week after week through the summer, surrounded by the girls at camp and the counselors Vivi had hired, and none of them would know she still mourned her father. Or that her pride had been shattered by Trafalgar Law.

Law, the promising young doctor, a surgeon. Law, always so charming, so attentive, so suitable. It had been during her last year of college that she had accepted his ring and made promises to him. And he had made promises to her.

When she discovered the hurt was still there, Nami covered it, layer by layer, with anger. Facing the mirror, she pulled her long hair back into a ponytail, a style her hairdresser would have shuddered at.

_It's more practical_, Nami told her reflection. She was a practical woman now, and wavy, waist-length hair would only get in the way during the riding lessons she would be giving this morning.

She pressed her fingers against her eyes. _Why are mornings always the worst? _She would wake up, expecting to come out of some bad dream and find herself home again. But it wasn't her home any longer. There were strangers living in it now. Conomi Brian's death had not been a bad dream, but a horrible, horrible reality.

A sudden heart attack had taken him overnight, leaving Nami stunned with shock and grief. Even before the grief could fade, Nami had been struck with another shock.

There had been lawyers, black-vested lawyers, with long, technical monologues. They had had offices that smelled of old leather and fresh polish. With solemn faces and politely folded hands, they had shattered her world.

Poor investments, she had been told, bad market trends, mortgages, second mortgages, short-term loans. The simple fact had been, once the details had been sifted through, there had been no money.

Conomi Brian had been a gambler. At the time of his death, his luck had turned, and he hadn't been able to recoup his losses. His daughter had been forced to liquidate his assets in order to pay off the debts. The house she had grown up in and loved was gone. She had still been numbed by the grief when she had found herself without a home or income. Crashing down on top of that had been Law's betrayal.

Nami yanked open the cabin door and was met by the balmy morning air of the mountains. The breath taking view of greening hills and blue sky didn't affect her, She was back in East Blue hearing Law's calm, reasonable voice.

The scandal, she remembered and began marching towards the big cabin where meals would be served. **His **reputation. **His **career. Everything she had loved had been taken away, but all he cared about was how he might be affected.

He had never loved her. Nami jammed her hands into her pockets and continued walking. She'd been a fool not to see it from the beginning. _But I learned_, Nami reminded herself. It had only been a merger to Law, the Conomi name, the Conomi money and reputation. When they had been destroyed, he had cut his losses.

Nami slowed her quick pace, realizing that she was out of breath, not from exertion, but from temper. It would never do to walk in to walk into breakfast with her face flushed and her eyes gleaming with bottled up fury. Giving herself a moment, she took a few deep breaths and looked around her.

The air was still cool, but by mid morning the sun would be warm and strong. Summer had barely begun.

It was beautiful. Lining the compound were a half-dozen small cabins with their windows open to the morning. The sound of girlish laughter floated through the windows. Along the pathway between cabins four and five was a scattering of anemones. A dogwood, with a few stubborn blooms clinging to it, stood nearby. Above cabin two, a mockingbird chattered.

Beyond the main camp to the west were rolling hills, deeply green. Grazing horses and trees dotted them. There was an openness here, a sense of space which Nami found incredible. Her life had always been focused on the city. Streets, buildings, traffic, people, those had been familiar. There were times when she felt a quick pain of need for what had been. It was still possible for her to have all that. Kaya had offered her home. No one would ever know how long and hard Nami had struggled with the temptation to accept the invitation.

Perhaps gambling was in Nami's blood too. Why else would she have sunk what ready cash she had left into a fledgling camp for girls in the hills?

_Because I have to try_, Nami reminded herself. She had had to take the risk on her own. She would never go back to the fragile porcelain doll she had been. Here, centered in such open space, she would take the time to learn about herself. What was Conomi Nami made of? Maybe, just maybe, by expanding her horizons, she would find her place to belong.

Vivi was right. It was going to work. They were going to make it work.

"Hungry?" Her hair damp from whatever shower she had popped into, Vivi cut across Nami's path. "Starved." Content, Nami swung a friendly arm around Vivi's shoulder. "Where did you run off to?"

"You know me, I can't let any part of this place run by itself." Vivi swept her gaze over the camp. Her expression reflected everything inside her, the love, the fear, the fierce pride. "I was worried about you."

"Vivi, I told you, I was just cranky this morning." Nami watched a group of girls rush out of a cabin and head for breakfast.

"Nami, we've been friends since we were six months old. No one knows better than I what you're going through."

No, no one did, and since Vivi was the person she loved best, Nami was determined to do a better job of concealing the wounds that were still open. "I've put it behind me, Vivi."

"Maybe. But I know that the camp was originally my venture, and that I roped you in."

"You didn't rope me in. I wanted to invest. we both know it was a pitifully small amount."

"Not to me. The extra money made it possible for me to include the equestrian program. Then when you agreed to come in and give riding lessons…"

"Just keeping a close eye on my investment," Nami said lightly. "Next year I won't be a part-time riding instructor and bookkeeper. I'll be a full-fledged counselor. No regrets, Vivi." This time she meant it. "It's ours."

"And the bank's."

Nami shrugged that away. "We need this place. You, because it's what you've always wanted to do, always worked and studied toward. Me..." She hesitated, then sighed. "Lets face it, I haven't got anything else. The camp's putting a roof over my head, giving me three meals a day and a goal. I need to prove I can make it."

"People think we're crazy."

The pride came back, with a feeling of recklessness Nami was just learning to savor. "Let them."

With a laugh, Vivi tugged at Nami's hair. "Lets eat."

* * *

Two hours later, Nami was winding up the first riding lesson of the day. This was her specialty, her contribution to the partnership she and Vivi had made. It had also been decided to trust Nami with the books because no one could have been more inept with figures than her.

Vivi had interviewed and hired a staff of counselors, a nutritionist, and a nurse. They hoped to have a pool and swimming instructor one day, but for now there was supervised swimming and canoeing on the lake, arts and crafts, hiking, and archery. Vivi had spent months refining a program for the summer, while Nami had juggled the profit-and-loss statements. She prayed the money would hold out while Vivi ordered supplies.

Unlike Vivi, Nami was certain the first week of camp would be the toughest. Her partner had all the training, all the qualifications for running a camp, but Vivi also had the optimist's flair for overlooking tiny details like red ink in the books.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Nami signaled from the center of the corral. "That's all for today." She scanned the six young faces under their black riding hats. "You're doing very well."

"When can we gallop, Miss Conomi?"

"After you learn to trot." She patted one of the horses flanks. "Dismount, then cool down you're horses. Remember, they depend on you." The breeze tossed her bangs, and she brushed at them absently. "Remember to put all the tack in its proper place for the next class."

This caused the groans she expected. Riding and playing with horses was one thing, tidying up afterward was another. Over the past week, she'd learned how to link the girls' faces and names. The eleven- and twelve-year-olds in her group had an enthusiasm that kept her on her toes. One-by-one she nudged them to the stables.

"Nami!" Turning she spotted Vivi running toward her. Even from a distance, Nami recognized concern.

"What's happened?"

"We're missing three kids."

"What?" Panic came first, and quickly. Years of training had her pulling it back. "What do you mean, missing?"

"I mean they're nowhere in camp. White Yoko, Ryu Apis, and Shells Rika." Vivi dragged her hand through her hair, a habitual gesture of tension. "Robin was lining up her group for canoeing, and they didn't show. We've looked everywhere."

"We can't panic," Nami said, as much to warn herself as Vivi. "White Yoko? Isn't that the little brunette that stuck a lizard down one of the other girls' shirts? And the one who set off the morning bell at 3:00 a.m.?"

"Yes that's her." Vivi clenched her teeth. "The little darling. Judge White Chase's granddaughter. If she's skinned her knee, we'll probably face a lawsuit." With a shake of her head, Vivi switched to an undertone. "The last anyone saw of her this morning' she was walking east." She pointed a finger, paint-splattered from her earlier art class. "No one noticed the other girls, but I bet they're with her. Darling Yoko is an inveterate leader."

"If she's walking that way, wouldn't she run into that apple orchard?"

"Yeah." Vivi shut her eyes. "Oh, yeah. I'm going to have six girls up to their wrists in modeling clay in ten minutes, or I'd go myself. Nami, I'm almost sure they headed for the orchard. One of the other girls admitted she heard Yoko planning to sneak over there for a few samples. We don't want any trouble with the owner. He's only letting us use his lake because I begged, shamelessly. He wasn't thrilled about having a girls' summer camp for a neighbor."

"Well, he has one," Nami pointed out. "So we'll all have to deal with it. I'm the one most easily spared around here, so I'll go after them."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Seriously, Nami, if they sneaked into that orchard, which I'd bet my last dime they did, we could be in for it. The man made it clear how he feels about his land and privacy."

"Three little girls are hardly going to do any damage to a bunch of apple trees." Nami began to walk, with Vivi rushing to keep pace.

"He's Roronoa Zoro. You know, Roronoa Apples? Juice, cider, sauce, jelly, whatever can be made from an apple, they do it. He made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to find any little girls climbing his trees."

"He won't find them, I will." Leaving Vivi behind, Nami swung over a fence.

"Put Yoko on a leash when you find her." Vivi watched her disappear through the trees.

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**Mostly about Nami this chapter, I promise Nami and Zoro will meet in chapter three.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Temptation by Nora Roberts.**

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**_Previous Chapter:_**

**_"He won't find them, I will." Leaving Vivi behind, Nami swung over a fence._**

**_"Put Yoko on a leash when you find her." Vivi her disappear through the trees."_**

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Nami followed the path from the camp, pleased when she found a crumpled candy wrapper. Yoko. With a grim smile, Nami picked it up and stuffed in her pocket. Judge White's granddaughter had already earned a reputation for her stash of sweets

It was warm now, but the path veered through a cool grove of aspens. Sunlight dappled the ground, making the walk, if not her errand, pleasant. Squirrels dashed here and there, confident enough in their own speed to not be alarmed by Nami's intrusion. Once a rabbit darted across her path, and disappeared into the brush with a frantic rustle. Overhead a woodpecker drummed, sending out an echo.

It occurred to Nami that she was more completely alone than she had ever been before. No civilization here. She bent down for another candy wrapper. Well, very little of it.

There were new scents here, earth, animal, vegetation, to be discovered. Wildflowers sprang up, it pleased her that she was beginning to recognize a few. They came back, year after year, without pampering, taking what came and thriving on it. They gave her hope. She could find a place here. Had found a place, she corrected herself. Her friends in East Blue might think her insane, but she was beginning to enjoy it.

The grove of aspens thinned abruptly, and the sunlight was strong again. She blinked against it. then shielded her eyes as she scanned the Roronoa orchards.

Apple trees stretched ahead of her as far as she could see, to the north, south, and east. Row after row after row of trees lined the slopes. Some of them were old and gnarled, some young and straight. Instantly she thought of early spring and the overwhelming smell of apple blossoms.

It would be magnificent, she thought as she stepped up to the fence that separated the properties. The fragrance, the pretty white-and-pink blossoms, the freshly green leaves, it would be a marvelous sight. Now the leaves were dark and thick, and instead of blossoms, she could see fruit in the trees closest to her. Small, shiny, and green they hung, waiting for the sun to ripen them.

How many times had she eaten applesauce that had begun right here? The idea made her smile as she began to climb the fence. Her vision of an orchard had been a lazy little grove guarded by an old man in overalls. A quaint picture, but nothing compared to the real thing.

The sound of giggling took her by surprise. Shifting toward the direction of the sound, Nami watched an apple fall from a tree and roll toward her feet. Bending, she picked it up, tossing it away as she walked closer. When she looked up, she spotted three pairs of sneakers beneath the cover of leaves and branches.

"Ladies." Nami spoke coolly and she was rewarded by three startled gasps. "Apparently you took a wrong turn on your way to the lake." Yoko's face appeared through the leaves. "Hi Miss Conomi. Would you like an apple?"

_The devil_. But even as she thought it, Nami had to resist the urge to smile. "Down," she said simply, then stepped closer to the trunk to assist.

They didn't need her help. Three agile little bodies scrambled down and dropped lightly onto the ground. In a gesture she knew could be intimidating, Nami lifted her left eyebrow.

"I'm sure you're aware that leaving camp property unsupervised and without permission is against the rules."

"Yes, Miss Conomi." The response would have been humble if it wasn't for the gleam in Yoko's eyes.

"Since none of you seem to be interested in canoeing today, Mrs. Navarone has a great deal of washing to be done in the kitchen." Pleased by her own inspiration, Nami decided Vivi would approve. "You are to report to Miss Nefertari, then to Mrs. Navarone for kitchen detail.

Only two of the girls looked to the ground in shame.

"Miss Conomi, do you think it's fair to give us extra kitchen detail?" Yoko asked, one half-eaten apple in hand. "After all, our parents are paying for the camp."

Nami felt her palms grow damp and her temper rise. Judge White was a wealthy and powerful man. _If the little brat complained… No_. Nami took a deep breath and not by a flicker showed her anxiety or anger at the attempted blackmail. She wouldn't be intimidated by a pint-sized con artist with apple juice on her chin.

"Yes, your parents are paying for you to be entertained, instructed, and disciplined. When they signed you up for Camp Liberty, it was with the understanding that you would obey the rules. But if you prefer, I'd be happy to call your parents and discuss the incident with them."

"No ma'am." Knowing she'd been outdone, Yoko smiled charmingly. "We'll be happy to help Mrs. Navarone, and we're sorry for breaking the rules."

_Yeah, and I'm the navigator on a pirate ship_, Nami thought, But she had kept her face impassive. "Fine. It's time to start back."

"My hat!" Yoko would have darted back up the tree if Nami hadn't made a lucky grab for her.

"I left my hat up in the tree. Please, Miss Conomi, it's my Marines cap, it was a gift from my father."

"You start back. I'll get it. I don't want Miss Nefertari to worry any longer than necessary."

"We'll apologize."

"See that you do." Nami watched them scramble over the fence. "And no detours," she called out. "Or I keep the cap." One look at Yoko assured her that that bit of blackmail was all that was needed. "Brats," she murmured as they jogged back into the grove, but the smile finally escaped. Turning back, she studied the tree.

All she had to do was climb up. It had looked simple enough when Yoko and her partners-in-crime had done it. Somehow, it didn't look as simple now. Squaring her shoulders, Nami stepped forward to grab a low-hanging branch. She'd done a little mountain climbing on Drum Island; how much more difficult could this be? Pulling herself up, she hooked her foot in the first vee she found. The bark was rough against her palm. Concentrating on her goal, she ignored the scrapes. With both feet secured she began to reach for the next branch and began to work her way up.

She spotted the cap hanging on a short branch, two arms' length out of reach. When she made the mistake of looking down, her stomach clenched. So don't look, Nami ordered herself. What you can't see can't hurt you. She hoped.

Nami cautiously inched her way over to the cap. When her fingers made contact with it, she let out a breath of relief. After setting it on her own head, she found herself looking out over the orchard.

Now it was the symmetry that caught her admiration. From her bird's height, she could see the order as well as the beauty. She could just barely glimpse a slice of the lake beyond the aspens. It winked blue in the distance. There were barnlike buildings, and what appeared to be a greenhouse, far off to the right. About a quarter of a mile away there was a truck, apparently abandoned, on a wide dirt path. In the quiet, birds began to sing again. Turning her head, she saw the bright yellow flash of a butterfly.

The scent of leaves, fruit, and earth was tangy and basic. Although she would usually prefer oranges, Nami was unable to resist. She plucked a sun-warmed apple.

_He'd never miss it_, she decided as she bit into the skin. The tart flavor, not quite ripe, shot into her mouth. Delicious, she thought. Exciting. Forbidden fruit usually is, she remembered, but she grinned as she took a second bite.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

She started, almost unseating herself, as the voice boomed up from below. She swallowed the of apple quickly before peering down through the leaves.

He stood with his hands on his hips. A dark green work shirt was rolled up past the elbow to show tan and muscle. Warily, Nami brought her eyes to his face. His mouth was set in a scowl. Short, green hair peeked out from under the black bandana tied around his head. Steel-grey eyes glared up at her, shadowed by the bandana, giving them a more sinister look. Nami noticed the light scar over his left eye, although the eye itself appeared unharmed, before a glint of light made her squint, taking note of the three gold earrings dangling from his left ear.

_Wonderful_, Nami thought. She'd been caught stealing apples by the foreman. Since disappearing wasn't an option, she opened her mouth to start a plausible explanation.

"Brat, do you belong at the camp next door?"

The tone brought on a frown. She might be penniless, she might be scrambling to make a living, but she was still a Conomi, and most certainly not a brat. Nami refrained from screaming at the man, and instead spoke as politely as possible. "Yes, that's right. I'd like to-"

"Are you aware that you are trespassing on private property?"

The color of her eyes deepened, the only outward sign of her embarrassed fury. "Yes, but I-"

"Come down." There was absolute command in his tone. "I'll have to take you back to the camp director."

Nami's temper flared and she gave serious consideration to throwing what was left of the apple on his head. No one, absolutely no one, gave her orders. "That won't be necessary."

"I'll decide what's necessary. Come down here."

_I'll come down all right_, Nami thought. _Then, with a few well-chosen words, he'll be put precisely in his place_. Annoyance carried her from branch to branch, leaving no room for thoughts of height or inexperience. The two scrapes she picked up on the trip were hardly felt. Her back was to him as she lowered herself into a vee of the trunk. The pleasure of demolishing him with icy manners would be well worth the embarrassment of having been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. She imagined him cringing and babbling an incoherent apology.

Then her foot slipped, and her frantic grab for a limb was an inch short of the mark. With a shriek that was equal parts surprise and dismay, she fell backward into space.

The breath whooshed out of her as she connected with something solid. The tanned, muscled arms she had seen from above wrapped around her. Momentum carried them both to the ground and they rolled. When the world stopped spinning, Nami found herself beneath a very firm, very long body.

Yoko's hat had flown off and Nami's face, no longer shadowed by the brim, was left unguarded in the sunlight. Zoro stared down at her and felt soft breasts yield under him.

"You're not twelve years old," he murmured.

"Obviously not."

Amused now, he shifted his weight, but didn't remove it. "I didn't get a good look at you when you were in the tree." I have time to make up for that now, he decided, and looked his fill. "You're quite a windfall." Carelessly, he brushed stray strands of hair from her face. His fingertips were rough against her skin as the bark had been to her palms. "What are you doing in a girls' summer camp?"

"Running it," she said coldly. It wasn't a complete lie. Because it would have bruised her dignity even more to squirm, she settled on giving him an icy look. "Would you mind?"

"Running it?" Since she had dropped out of ono of his trees, he didn't feel the need to fulfill her request. "I met someone. Nefertari - blue hair, appealing face." He glanced at Nami. "You're not her."

_Thank you_ _captain obvious_, Nami thought. Because his body was too warm, too male, and too close, she sacrificed some dignity by putting her hands to his shoulders. He didn't budge. " I'm her partner. Conomi Nami."

"Ah, of the East Blue Conomis."

The humor in his voice was another blow to her pride. Nami combated it with a withering stare.

"That's correct."

_Intriguing little package_, he thought. _All manners and breeding_. "A pleasure, Miss Conomi," he said with a smirk. "I'm Roronoa Zoro."


End file.
